WS/VP Desk
Srinagar, Jan 25: In a historic step, the Vande Bharat Express, which is specially designed to operate seamlessly in Jammu and Kashmir’s challenging winter conditions, completed a trial run on Saturday.
An official said that the train, on its maiden trial run, arrived at Srinagar station from Katra in Jammu at 11:30 AM. The train later moved to Budgam station to complete its trial run.
He stated that the first trial run of the Vande Bharat between Katra and Kashmir was completed successfully.
Northern Railway’s Chief Area Manager (Srinagar), Saqib Yousuf, told The Web Story/The Varmul Post that the dream finally came true, as the trial of the Vande Bharat Train’s maiden trial run was successfully completed on Saturday.
He noted that the trial was also conducted to ascertain the time the train would take on various sections of the route.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha described it as a historic moment and a dream come true. “A historic moment and a dream come true! The trial run of the Vande Bharat Express train from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Railway Station, Katra, to Budgam has been successfully completed. Congratulations to Indian Railways officials and the team working on the ground,” he said in a post on X.
Earlier, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link has been completed. “Historic milestone: final track work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link is complete. The blast-free track work for the 3.2 km long Tunnel T-33, located at the foothills of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and connecting Katra to Reasi, was completed today at 2:00 AM,” he wrote on X.
Currently, Kashmir has a limited railway service, with trains operating between Sangaldan and Banihal in the Jammu division, as well as to Srinagar and Baramulla in the Valley. On the Jammu side, trains run up to Udhampur and Katra, which are connected to the broader Indian Railways network.
Pertinently, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also expressed gratitude and optimism during the inauguration of the new Rail Division of Jammu at the Jammu-Tawi Railway Station earlier this month. The event, marked as a historic milestone for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, was inaugurated and addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conference.
Meanwhile, a railway official, while sharing details about the features of the Vande Bharat Train with The Web Story/The Varmul Post, stated that considering Jammu and Kashmir’s extreme weather conditions, the train has several additional features to meet operational challenges and passengers’ needs.
These features include:
– Advanced heating systems.
– Bio-toilet tanks.
– Embedded heating elements in the windshield to ensure clear visibility in harsh winter conditions.
“It has heating units to withstand sub-zero temperatures, heating pads to avoid the freezing of water in pipes and tanks, and an ambient temperature control system in the driver’s cab. All these facilities have been designed to handle snowy and cold conditions.”
He added that the train features all the other amenities of the existing Vande Bharat trains, including fully air-conditioned coaches, automatic plug doors, and mobile charging sockets, among others.
Meanwhile, The date of the flagging-off ceremony is yet to be announced, while sources indicated that likely it ll be officially started in the February month only.
Earlier this week National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said that the Katra-Sangaldan train service is likely to be delayed by a few months and will begin operations in April with the onset of the tourism season.
“I heard that the train (to Kashmir) will face a two-month delay due to some incomplete works. Those works are being attended to and they will start the train in April with the onset of the tourism season,” the former chief minister added.
